67% of Adults Say "Domestic COVID-19 Spread Uncontrollable"…Highest Level in Survey

One in Three Koreans Say "I Am Also Likely to Get Infected"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] As the Omicron variant spreads, anxiety about COVID-19 infection is increasing. Two out of three people believe that controlling the spread of COVID-19 is impossible.

According to a COVID-19 public perception survey conducted in mid-month by the research team of Professor Yoo Myung-soon at Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Health on the 21st, 66.9% responded that "controlling the spread of COVID-19 is impossible," marking the highest rate recorded in previous surveys. When asked on a 10-point scale how socially controllable the domestic spread of COVID-19 due to Omicron dominance is, only 33.1% answered that "control is possible."

Also, in response to a question about the possibility of COVID-19 infection, 32.2% answered that "there is a high possibility that I will be infected." This is also the highest rate in infection risk perception surveys conducted among the general public since January 2020.

This survey was conducted from the 11th to the 13th of this month, targeting 1,026 adult men and women nationwide. The sampling error is ±3.06 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Earlier, from the 11th to the 13th of last month, a survey on trust in the government's and health authorities' COVID-19 response was conducted among 1,033 adult men and women nationwide. The response rate for "trust" was 53.9%, while 46.1% answered that they do not trust. The sampling error at that time was ±3.05 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.

Professor Yoo said, "Nearly 7 out of 10 adults showing the perception that the risk of Omicron dominance cannot be socially controlled may indicate a need to review government communication," adding, "In a public health crisis situation, to prevent the public and society from experiencing a loss of control, it is necessary to present specific quarantine strategies with an attitude of empathy and understanding."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.